Method of fastening buttons to textile articles



` Feb. 25, 195s METHOD OF FASTENING BUTTONS TO TEXTILE ARTICLES Filed Jan. 18.` 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 25, 195s F. LEHE' 2,824,595

METHOD oF FASTENING BUTTONS To TEXTILE ARTICLES Filed Jan. 1a. 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent*- METHOD F FASTENING BUTTONS TO TEXTILE ARTICLES Frithjof Lehre, Oslo, Norway Application January 18, 1954, Serial No. 404,519

4 Claims. (Cl. 1S4-1.6)

The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for fastening buttons to textile articles of clothing, for example suits and gowns, coats, overcoats, cloaks, mantles, shirts and so on by means of a liquidized, thermosetting plastic including rubber, casein and the like. The fastener-threads for buttons are, particularly when it relates to buttons which are to be protected in connection with buttonholes on articles of clothing, exposed to great wear by the fact that the edges of the buttonhole rub against the fastener-thread on the threads between the button and the fabric. This is in most cases the reason why the button fastening becomes loose.

According to my Patent No. 2,689,993, September 28, 1954, this Wear is prevented by means of a thread-protector consisting of a sheath of rubber, plastic, casein, metal or the like which sheath is designed to enclose the fastening-threads between the button and the fabric. Preferably at least the one end of this sheath is widened out to a ring flange which shall rest against the button. According to my above mentioned pending application the button is fastened to the fabric by sewing the fastening-threads passing through the sheath placed between the button and the fabric thus protecting said threads from wear.

The present invention now concerns a method of and an apparatus for fastening buttons by means of a liquidized thermosetting plastic of the kind mentioned above and the sheath construction mentioned in my said Patent No. 2,689,993.

According to my invention I rst make one or more small crossing cut in the fabric with a sharp cutting tool on the spot where the button is to be placed and fastened. Then I bring together the button and the fabric and a liquidized, thermosetting plastic of the kind mentioned above is pressed through the fabric, the cut and the buttonholes and the whole is brought to curing or hardening conditions. The button is thus fastened to the fabric.

If I want to have a button-stem I can place a removable tubelike distance piece between the button and the fabric.

If I want to use the sheath according to my said patent I place such a sheath between the button and the fabric and press the liquidized thermosetting plastic through the fabric with the cut, the sheath and the button and bring the whole to solidify under curing conditions thus fastening the button to the fabric.

Further the steps of my present invention may be carried out by an apparatus for fastening buttons to textile articles of clothing by means of a liquidized thermosetting plastic material. This apparatus, as shown, comprises a device for supplying a predetermined quantity of a liquidized thermosetting plastic into a heating device, such as a heating chamber, for melting said plastic material, a device for delivering a precise quantity of the liquidized thermosetting plastic material to an outlet orifice on the upper end surface of an arm. Above said arm there is another arm inthe lower part of which a centering device is arranged for centering a hollow tubelike distance piece, such as the sheath according to my above men- Plc@ tioned Patent No. 2,689,993, and a button above said outlet orifice.' The centering device is arranged in the upper arm in connection with a piston which is movable up and down by means of a lever system which piston presses the centering device containing the distance piece and the button against a fabric placed between the two arms and causes the liquidized thermosetting plastic material to enter through the fabric, the hollow distance piece and the button-holes.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following description of an apparatus suitable for carrying out the method according to the present invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with parts in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view, the section being taken as on line II-II in Figure l.'

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view, the section being taken as on line III--III in Figure 2. v

Figure 4 is a sectional side view, the section being taken as on line IV-IV in Figure 3. i

In these views, the numeral 2 (Fig. 1) indicates a baseframe for a stand having two arms 1 and 8. The arm 1 is provided with an outlet orifice 3 for a conduit 4 leading from a heating chamber S the temperature of which is controlled by a thermostat (not shown). In the heating chamber there is a piston actuated plastic delivering device 6 supplying a predetermined quantity of liquidized thermosetting plastic material through the conduit 4 to the outlet orice 3. 7 is a conduit for delivering a solid string or band of plastic material from a store (not shown) to the heating chamber 5 and the plastic delivering device 6. The feeding of this solid string or band to the heating chamber 5 and the plastic delivering device 6 respectively can be brought about by means of a teeth rack 7 which is actuated by a lever system.

The other arm 8 of the stand carries a cylinder-shaped part 10 the geometric axis of which is coincident with that of the outlet oriiice 3. In this cylinder-shaped part 10 there is provided a piston 12 actuated by a lever system 11 and movable up and down. In the piston 12 and slidable on guides 13 there is arranged a support 14 for the button 15 and the hollow distance piece 16 to be fastened to the article of clothing. The support 14 is provided with a seat 17 for the button to be fastened and a seat 18 for the distance piece. The support is also provided with an upper part 19 which by means of a hinge 20 is turnably connected with the support 14.

The fabric to be provided with the button is placed between the arm 1 and the cylinder 10 and the spot where the button is to be placed and fastened is adjusted just over the outlet orice 3 for the liquidized plastic. Then the piston 12 by means of the lever system 11 and a pedal (not shown) is moved downwards until the distance piece 16 is pressed against the fabric. A piece of the solid plastic is introduced into the heating chamber 5 and the delivering device 6 and heated to a liquidized state. Then the piston 12, including the button, the distance piece and the fabric are pressed against the outlet orice 3 on the lower arm l and a predetermined quantity of liquidized thermosetting plastic is delivered to the outlet orice and pressed through the fabric, the hollow distance piece, and the buttonholes. Then the plastic material is brought to cure or harden. Then the piston is moved up again to the position shown in Figure 1.

25 is a tube-like magazine for distance pieces and 26 is a tube-like magazine for buttons.

For removing the button fastened to the article of clothing from the support 14 and for introducing a new button and a new distance piece into the support, the latter is movable out of the piston 12 and the cylinder 10 in a direction perpendicular to the plane shown in Figure l.

In Figures 2, 3 and 4 the support 14 is shown in a protruded position and being 'guided by guides 13' corresponding to the guides 13 mentioned before. The guides 13' are arranged on arms 27, 27 extending backwards from the lower part of the cylinder 10. The support is pushed out by means of a slide 28.

As will be clear from Figures 3 and 4, the seat 18 of the support has a slotted continuation 29 directed towards the magazine 25 for distance pieces. Under that magazine 25 is arranged a slide 30 movable to and fro. This slide carries the distance piece at the bottom of the magazine (the position according to Figure 3). The slide 30 is provided with a carrier-plate 31 which when the slide is pushed forward carries the distance piece and forces it through the slotted continuation 29 into the seat 18 in the support 14.

The arm 27 is provided with a laterally protruding plate 35 situated under the tube-like magazine 26 for the buttons. The button at the bottom of this magazine can fall down onto the plate 35. Above the plate 35 is arranged a movable slide 36 the front part of which is provided with a semi-circular recess 37. When pushed forwards, the slide 36 carries the button on the plate 35 to the support 14, as shown in Figure 4. The button strikes against an inclined surface 38 on the upper part 19 of the support 14 causing the upper part to swing up- Wards on the hinge 20. Then the slide 36 pushes the button forwards until it falls down onto the seat 17. When removing the slide 36 the upper part 19 will fall down over the button. Then the slide 30 is pushed further forwards, the slide 28 is drawn back, and the support 14 together with the button is pushed into the piston 12. When the distance piece 16 has reached the position shown in Figure 1, the apparatus is ready for fastening the button to a fabric placed between the arm 1 and the cylinder 10.

What I claim is:

1. A method of fastening a button having a hole therein to textile material, including positioning a button over the material at the point where a button is to be fastened, moving the button to engage one side of the textile material, forcing liquidized thermosetting plastic through the textile material on the side opposite the button and through the hole, and then allowing the plastic to harden so as to cause the button to be fastened to the textile material.

2. A method of fastening a button having a hole therein to textile material including forming the material with an opening at the point where a button is to be fastened, positioning a button over the material, moving the button to engage one side of the material so that the hole registers with the opening, forcing liquidized thermosetting plastic through the textile material on the side opposite the button and through the opening and the hole, and then allowing the plastic to harden so as to cause the button to be fastened to the textile material.

3. A method of fastening a button having a hole therein to textile material, including forming the material with an opening at the point where a button is to be fastened, positioning a button in a centering device above and in registration with said opening, positioning a hollow tubelike distance piece between the button and the textile material, forcing a thermosetting plastic through the opening in the textile material and through said tubular distance piece and the hole so as to form the button with a depending stem, allowing the plastic material to harden and then removing the centering device and the distance piece.

4. A method of fastening a button having a hole therein to textile material, including forming the material with an opening at the point where a button is to be fastened, positioning a button in a centering device above and in registration with said opening, positioning a hollow tubelike distance piece between the button and the textile material, forcing a thermosetting plastic through the opening in the textile material and through said tubular piece and the hole so as to form the button with a depending stem, allowing the plastic material to harden and then removing the centering device.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,763,494 Yinger June l0, 1930 2,071,921 Dickson Feb. 23, 1937 2,140,672 Gray et al. Dec. 20, 1938 2,470,963 Weyl May 24, 1949 2,524,842 Slamon et al Oct. l0, 1950 2,565,753 Bothwinick Aug. 28, 1951 2,633,618 Moe Apr. 7, 1953 2,663,662 Graf et al. Dec. 22, 1953 

